Honest reviews of the tools people use to write SQL and manage databases: features, pros and cons, pricing and who each one is best for.
Best SQL IDEs
SQL editors and database IDEs compared by use case, price and platform.
Best Database Management Tools
GUI tools for browsing, editing and administering databases, by use case.
Best Free Database Management Tools
Capable database GUIs that cost nothing, and what the free versions leave out.
Best MySQL GUI Tools
Graphical clients for MySQL and MariaDB, from the rebuilt official MySQL Workbench to multi-database IDEs.
Best PostgreSQL GUI Tools
pgAdmin and the alternatives for querying and managing PostgreSQL.
Best SQL Server GUI Tools
SSMS, VS Code with the MSSQL extension and other SQL Server clients, now that Azure Data Studio is retired.
Best DBeaver Alternatives
Free and paid database clients to consider if DBeaver is not the right fit.
Best DataGrip Alternatives
Cheaper, lighter or free options if a DataGrip subscription is not for you.
Best MySQL Workbench Alternatives
Other MySQL clients worth a look, and what each does better or worse.
Best SSMS Alternatives
SQL Server clients for macOS, Linux and multi-database work, and when SSMS is still the right tool.
Best Database Tools for Windows
Database clients and admin tools for Windows, including Windows-only tools, Arm64 builds, portable installs and WSL notes.
Best Online SQL Editors
Browser-based tools for writing and running SQL without installing anything.
Best ER Diagram Tools
Tools for designing and documenting database schemas as entity relationship diagrams.
Best Supabase Alternatives
Other backend and managed PostgreSQL platforms to consider instead of Supabase.
Best Firebase Alternatives
Backend platforms and databases to consider instead of Firebase, including SQL-based ones.
Best Database Tools for Mac
Database clients for macOS, including Mac-only apps and Apple silicon support.
Best Database Tools for Linux
Database clients and admin tools for Linux desktops and servers, and how each is packaged.
Best SQLite GUI Tools
Graphical tools for opening, browsing and editing SQLite database files.
Best MongoDB GUI Tools
MongoDB Compass and the alternatives for querying and managing MongoDB.
Best TablePlus Alternatives
Free and paid clients to consider instead of TablePlus.
Best Navicat Alternatives
Free and lower-cost tools to consider instead of Navicat.
Best Snowflake Alternatives
Data warehouses and analytics platforms to consider instead of Snowflake.
Best Databricks Alternatives
Lakehouse, warehouse and open source options to consider instead of Databricks.
Best BigQuery Alternatives
Warehouses and analytics engines to consider instead of BigQuery.
Best ETL Tools
ELT, ETL and orchestration tools compared by use case, openness and pricing model.
Best Fivetran Alternatives
Open source and managed tools to consider instead of Fivetran.
Best Database Monitoring Tools
Monitoring tools for SQL Server, PostgreSQL, MySQL and more, by use case and pricing model.
Best SQL Server Monitoring Tools
Dedicated and built-in options for monitoring SQL Server performance.
Best PostgreSQL Monitoring Tools
Open source and commercial tools for monitoring PostgreSQL.
Best MySQL Monitoring Tools
Open source and commercial tools for monitoring MySQL and MariaDB.
Best Open Source Database Monitoring Tools
Free, open source ways to monitor database performance, and what they take to run.
Best Redgate Alternatives
Other tools for the jobs Redgate products cover: monitoring, compare, migrations and test data.
Best SQL Sentry Alternatives
Other SQL Server monitoring tools to consider instead of SQL Sentry.
Best SolarWinds DPA Alternatives
Database performance monitoring tools to consider instead of SolarWinds DPA.
Best Open Source BI Tools
Metabase, Superset, Redash, Lightdash, Evidence and Grafana compared on licence, self-hosting and SQL access.
Best SQL Reporting Tools
Tools for turning SQL queries into scheduled, paginated and interactive reports, from Power BI Report Server (the SSRS successor) to open source BI.
Best Oracle Database Tools
GUI clients, IDEs and admin tools for Oracle Database.
Best Oracle SQL Developer Alternatives
Other Oracle clients to consider instead of SQL Developer.
Best MongoDB Compass Alternatives
MongoDB GUIs to consider when Compass falls short: SQL access, team access and multi-database tools.
Best Database Documentation Tools
Tools that generate and maintain documentation for database schemas.
Best Database Tools for Developers
The database tooling a developer needs beyond the SQL editor: local databases, migrations, ORMs, testing and schema review.
Best Database Comparison Tools
Schema and data compare tools for finding and syncing differences between databases.
Best HeidiSQL Alternatives
Other database clients to consider instead of HeidiSQL.
Best DbVisualizer Alternatives
Other cross-platform database clients to consider instead of DbVisualizer.
Best pgAdmin Alternatives
PostgreSQL clients to consider instead of, or alongside, pgAdmin.
Azure Data Studio
Retired by Microsoft on 28 February 2026; Microsoft recommends VS Code with the mssql extension.
DBeaver
Popular universal database client supporting almost every engine.
DataGrip
JetBrains database IDE with SQL code analysis and refactoring; free for non-commercial use, paid for commercial use.
dbForge Studio
Devart feature-rich IDE, with editions for SQL Server, MySQL, Oracle and PostgreSQL.
Toad
Quest's professional toolset, best known for Oracle and SQL Server.
DbVisualizer
Cross-platform JDBC database client with a free edition and a paid Pro edition.
TablePlus
Multi-database GUI for macOS, Windows, Linux and iOS; restricted free version, perpetual per-device licence.
Navicat
Commercial multi-database client sold per user, with a free Premium Lite edition and modelling and sync in the paid editions.
SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS)
The full-featured, free management tool for SQL Server on Windows.
pgAdmin
Free, open source PostgreSQL administration and development tool, for desktop or web.
MySQL Workbench
Oracle's free official MySQL tool, rebuilt on MySQL Shell in 2026; earlier releases are end of life.
HeidiSQL
Free GPL client for MariaDB, MySQL, SQL Server, PostgreSQL, SQLite and more, on Windows, Linux and Apple silicon Macs.
phpMyAdmin
The classic free web-based administration tool for MySQL and MariaDB.
Beekeeper Studio
Modern, open-source SQL editor with a clean, friendly interface.
VS Code (mssql extension)
The free mssql extension turns VS Code into a lightweight SQL Server client.
Not sure which to pick?
See the head to head SQL comparisons, or brush up with the interview questions and practice exercises.